title: The genome of Burkholderia cenocepacia J2315, an epidemic pathogen of cystic fibrosis patients.
abstract: Bacterial infections of the lungs of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients cause major complications in the treatment of this common genetic disease. Burkholderia cenocepacia infection is particularly problematic since this organism has high levels of antibiotic resistance, making it difficult to eradicate; the resulting chronic infections are associated with severe declines in lung function and increased mortality rates. B. cenocepacia strain J2315 was isolated from a CF patient and is a member of the epidemic ET12 lineage that originated in Canada or the United Kingdom and spread to Europe. The 8.06-Mb genome of this highly transmissible pathogen comprises three circular chromosomes and a plasmid and encodes a broad array of functions typical of this metabolically versatile genus, as well as numerous virulence and drug resistance functions. Although B. cenocepacia strains can be isolated from soil and can be pathogenic to both plants and man, J2315 is representative of a lineage of B. cenocepacia rarely isolated from the environment and which spreads between CF patients. Comparative analysis revealed that ca. 21% of the genome is unique in comparison to other strains of B. cenocepacia, highlighting the genomic plasticity of this species. Pseudogenes in virulence determinants suggest that the pathogenic response of J2315 may have been recently selected to promote persistence in the CF lung. The J2315 genome contains evidence that its unique and highly adapted genetic content has played a significant role in its success as an epidemic CF pathogen.
authors.affiliation: The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SA, United Kingdom. mh3@sanger.ac.uk
authors.forename: Matthew T G
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Holden
authors.forename: Helena M B
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Seth-Smith
authors.forename: Lisa C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Crossman
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sebaihia
authors.forename: Stephen D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Bentley
authors.forename: Ana M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Cerdeño-Tárraga
authors.forename: Nicholas R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Thomson
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bason
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Quail
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sharp
authors.forename: Inna
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cherevach
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Churcher
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Goodhead
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hauser
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Holroyd
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mungall
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.forename: Pernille
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Iversen
authors.forename: Dalila
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mil-Homens
authors.forename: Eduardo P C
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Rocha
authors.forename: Arsenio M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Fialho
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baldwin
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dowson
authors.forename: Bart G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Barrell
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Govan
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vandamme
authors.forename: C Anthony
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Hart
authors.forename: Eshwar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mahenthiralingam
authors.forename: Julian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Parkhill
mesh_terms: D019117:Burkholderia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D042602:Burkholderia cepacia complex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D002876:Chromosomes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004270:DNA, Circular / Q000235:genetics; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D005784:Gene Amplification; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D010944:Plants / Q000382:microbiology; D010957:Plasmids; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004270:DNA, Circular